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At Log College Press, we aim to survey the broad landscape of American Presbyterianism, from mainstream denominations to dissenting branches, both conservative and liberal, to provide insight into the history and claims of those who speak for Presbyterianism in America. But we have a special place in our heart for the original Log College, which served as the first Presbyterian seminary in the colonies.

A 19th-century sketch of the Log College with an interesting background described here.

Here is an effort to provide resources for further study on that Log College and specially connected to it. This is not a complete survey, but it is hoped that readers who wish to study the Log College more in-depth can do so ably with the material referenced below.

The Founders of the Log College (c. 1726) were William Tennent, Sr. (1673-1746) and Catherine Kennedy Tennent (1683-1753). Each of their male children were among the graduates of the Log College program of education: Gilbert, William, Jr., John, and Charles. Other famous Log College alumni include Samuel Blair, John Blair, Samuel Finley and Charles Beatty. The Log College planted seeds which later resulted in the founding of Princeton, the Log Colleges of John McMillan, David Caldwell and others.

There are many valuable works about the Log College and its alumni and influence available to read at Log College Press, including:

Archibald Alexander - Biographical Sketches of the Founder, and Principal Alumni of the Log College (1845) and Sermons and Essays by the Tennents and Their Contemporaries (1855)
Elijah R. Craven - The Log College of Neshaminy and Princeton University (1902)
Nathaniel Irwin - Memoirs of the Presbyterian Church of Neshaminey (1793, 1904)
Guy S. Klett and Thomas C. Pears, Jr. - Documentary History of William Tennent and the Log College (1940)
Thomas Murphy - The Presbytery of the Log College; or, The Cradle of the Presbyterian Church in America (1889)
Douglas K. Turner - History of Neshaminy Presbyterian Church of Warwick, Hartsville, Bucks County, PA, 1726-1876 (1876); Sketch of Log College (1886, 1909); and The Log College (1889)

Also of interest is Charles Spencer Richardson, Jr., A Week in Log College Country (1903), available to read here. William B. Sprague’s Annals, Richard Webster’s History of the Presbyterian Church in America, and many other biographical and historical literature is also available to read at Log College Press.

Other works known to the writer, but not yet available on Log College Press include:

George H. Ingram - The Story of the Log College (1927) and Biographies of the Alumni of the Log College (1929-1930)
Clarence E.N. Macartney - The Log College and the Beginning of Princeton (1946-1947)
Richard McIlwaine - The Influence of the Log College in the South (1889)
Thomas C. Pears, Jr. - History by Hearsay or New Light on William Tennent: A Footnote on the 'Documentary History of William Tennent (1940)
Gary E. Schnittjer - William Tennent and the Log College: A Common Man and an Uncommon Legacy (1992) and The Ingredients of Effective Mentoring: The Log College as a Model for Mentorship (1994)

Books which directly treat aspects of the Log College from the Secondary Sources page at Log College Press include:

Milton J. Coalter, Jr. - Gilbert Tennent, Son of Thunder (1986)
S. Donald Fortson III - Colonial Presbyterianism: Old Faith in a New Land (2006)
John F. Hansen - The Vision That Changed a Nation: The Legacy of William Tennent (2007)
Margaret Adair Hunter, Education in Pennsylvania Promoted by the Presbyterian Church, 1726–1837 (1937)
Alexander Leitch - A Princeton Companion (1978)
Howard Miller - The Revolutionary College: American Presbyterian Higher Education, 1707-1837 (1976)
Mary A. Tennent - Light in Darkness: The Story of William Tennent, Sr. and the Log College (1971)

There is a great deal of literature on Princeton which can be read online at Log College Press, or ordered from the Secondary Sources page, which touches on the history of the Log College. Many titles are not mentioned here, but could be included in a more thorough compilation. But it is hoped that the resources highlighted here will provide the student of colonial American Presbyterian history with readily available information to assist in their studies of a remarkable chapter of church history.

And let us remember that “the past is not dead,” because the story of the Tennents and the Log College is but prologue to the present. The William Tennent House Association continues its work in a different direction to make this history and legacy alive and accessible to visitors as well. One Log College, and the many others which followed, did so much to leave a godly legacy for America. We are glad to help others learn more about the story, and we are thankful to God for the legacy.

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Today’s post contains a message from Wendy Wirsch, President of the William Tennant House Association. Previously, we have written about the efforts of this organization to preserve and restore the home of the Founder of the original Log College. She has an update to report that we wanted to pass along to our readers.

Wendy Wirsch portrays Mrs. Catherine Tennent at the Log College Monument (courtesy of Wendy Wirsch).

The Rev. William Tennent, Sr. helped light the fires for revival at the beginning of the First Great Awakening. He lived on a hundred-acre plantation in Warminster, Bucks County, Pennsylvania. Today what was once William Tennent’s property is now the children’s campus for Christ’s Home. Near his house he built a log cabin school for the training of Presbyterian ministers. This school became known as the Log College. All of his known graduates became revivalist preachers except for one who became a medical doctor. After William Tennent’s death on May 6, 1746, the Log College closed its doors. John 12:24 says, “Truly, truly I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies. It remains alone, but if it dies, it bears much fruit.” The death of this “grain of wheat” produced sixty-three colleges and universities. The first offshoot was Princeton University.
In 2011 the William Tennent House Association (WTHA) became a nonprofit 501 (c) 3 formed to restore the home commonly known as the William Tennent House. This house stands diagonally behind the Log College Monument which lists the sixty-three colleges and universities. The WTHA began working with the historic preservation department of AECOM. Currently the Association is working with Michael Cuba and Dale Emde, timber framers, and Jeffrey Marshall, President of the Heritage Conservancy.
Here’s an update on the efforts to restore the house. The Historic Resource Survey Report compiled by AECOM’s historic preservation department was submitted to the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission for their review in order to get eligibility for the National Registry. Unfortunately, the PHMC turned down our submission, but we’re not giving up.
During the summer of 2019 we began working with Michael Cuba and Dale Emde, timber framers along with advice from Jeffrey Marshall of the Heritage Conservancy in Doylestown, PA. After thorough examination of the structure, Michael and Jeffrey tell us that this is a totally rebuilt house with materials from other structures. The two stone ends where the fireplaces are located are probably original. Also, the original house was a one or one-and-a-half story log home. We don’t know why William Tennent advertised it as a two-story dwelling in the Pennsylvania Gazette. We know from our research that this is the location of his house.
Michael Cuba and Dale Emde took core samples of wood from the interior of the home for dendrochronology and sent them to the Oxford Dendrochronology Lab in Oxford, England. Dendrochronology will help us date the structure. The results should be in by March.
In the ceiling of the basement there are logs that look like they came from a log cabin structure. I often wondered if they came from the Log College. Unfortunately, we may never know. When Michael took a core sample from one of the logs, he discovered the logs were chestnut. In the 18th century a blight wiped out all of the chestnut trees so there is no sample we can compare it to.
Currently the WTHA is raising money to stabilize the north wall and put a temporary roof over the existing roof. We also need to raise money for ground penetrating radar to check the foundation and conduct an archaeological dig on the property. Archaeology will tell the story of this house and who lived there. When we raise even more money, we will have Jeffrey Marshall resubmit a revised HRSF to the PHMC.
This house has always been known as the William Tennent House. Inspired by William Tennent and the impact of the Log College our mission is to raise awareness of his lasting contributions to higher education in the American middle colonies, as well as Tennent’s spiritual influence on the founding of our nation. We envision the William Tennent House as a place where the community and school students will learn about the life of William Tennent and his important contribution to American history and spiritual renewal. The home will be open for tours to the public, and a library will be opened for anyone who wants to do research.
Any reader of this blog who wants to make a donation or become a member of the William Tennent House Association can visit our website at www.williamtennenthouse.org. We are also on Facebook at William Tennent House. I believe this house holds a secret, and I’m determined to find out what it is.

The William Tennent House (courtesy of Wendy Wirsch).

If you are interested in the mission of the William Tennent House Association, please visit their website to learn more. The former home of the founder of the Log College is an historical treasure. The preservation and restoration of the landmark of American Presbyterian history is a worthy aim, and if there are secrets to be unlocked, we hope that these efforts will be successful.

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